The Hobbit Fanfic
by Heartless-x-Love
Summary: Anduin is at the Prancing Pony when Gandalf meets with Thorin Oakenshield to discuss the retaking of Erebor. Many adventures lay on the path to Erebor, but so do many dangers, and Anduin needs to prove to the Company that she is a valuable member or face being left behind. *updating rating for later chapters*
1. Prologue

**The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Fanfic**

Heartless-x-Love: Anduin is at the Prancing Pony when Gandalf meets with Thorin Oakenshield to discuss the retaking of Erebor. She joins the company, much to the displeasure of Thorin, and is warily accepted by the rest of the Dwarves at the home of Bilbo Baggins. Many adventures lay on the path to Erebor, but so do many dangers, and Anduin needs to prove to the Company that she is a valuable member or face being left behind.

-x-

**Prologue**

It was nearing nightfall when I finally arrived at the Prancing Pony after my long journey. I booked the cheapest room possible and, after a light supper, dozed comfortably for the first time in many months. I spent the next few days regaining my strength and making a store of provisions for my next journey. It was on the fourth night of my stay that I overheard a rather interesting conversation. I was sitting near the fire, nursing an ale, when an elderly man came in and sat a table near me. After a quick glance I determined he was a Wizard and my interest flickered as to what he was doing in Bree. Some time passed and, to my greatest astonishment, a Dwarf entered the room and looked around. Apart from me the only people in the room were him and the Wizard and after looking the Wizard up and down for a moment the Dwarf walked up to him and spoke to him. "Master Gandalf, I know you only by sight, but now I should be glad to speak with you. For you have often come into my thoughts of late, as if I were bidden to seek you. Indeed I should have done so, if I had known where to find you" he bowed low and when he straightened up, he gave me a suspicious look before returning his gaze to the Wizard.

"That is strange, Thorin Oakenshield," the Wizard said "for I have thought of you also; and though I am on my way to the Shire, it was in my mind that is the way to your halls". I was becoming more interested in the conversation, so I ordered another ale and listened close to words not meant for my ears. "Call them so, if you will," Thorin said "they are only poor lodgings in exile, but you would be welcome there, if you would come". Thorin sat down and ordered an ale "for they say that you are wise and know more than any other of what goes on in the world; and I have much on my mind and would be glad of your counsel". "I will come" Gandalf said "for I guess that we share one trouble at least. The Dragon of Erebor is on my mind, and I do not think that he will be forgotten by the grandson of Thror". At the mention of the Dragon I spat into the fire and leant back in my chair with my feet on the grate. Thorin spoke again "I would take an army to Erebor, if it meant I could reclaim my homeland" Gandalf shook his head "my dear Thorin that would never do, for there is no such army you can call that would be enough to smite the Dragon" he sipped his wine "no this kind of quest requires stealth and secrecy, and I have the most ideal person for the job". Thorin seemed sceptical but listened nonetheless "this person is actually a Hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins and Smaug would be most unfamiliar of the scent of Hobbit" Gandalf seemed to swell as he talked about this creature.

"How do you know this Hobbit will be able to be of use on your quest?" I stood up and stepped up to their table. Thorin's hand went to his axe "what business is it of yours?" he growled. I stepped back slightly "I mean no disrespect Master Oakenshield" I bowed low "I merely ask whether someone so unused to the Wild will be able to perform as you wish him to?" Thorin narrowed his eyes "you seem to be familiar with Smaug". I bowed my head "my great-grandparents parents were murdered by that beast when he destroyed Dale" I looked from Gandalf to Thorin "I wish to seek revenge for my familys' loss, so I most humbly ask to join your quest". I bowed again and stepped away from the table and ordered my fourth ale. "Do you have any particular skills that would be of use?" Gandalf asked. "In my journey from Lake Town I have heard rumours and whispers about a shadow falling over the East. Orc packs are roaming in places they've never been seen before. Master Gandalf there are also whispers of a darker force in the Southern region of King Thranduil's lands" I shuddered at the mere thought of what I went through in coming to Bree. "I know quite well how to wield a bow and sword and I don't think Smaug will have smelt a Human in many a year, so please allow me to join your quest" I lowered my head again and regained my seat, only moving it a little closer to the others.

Thorin was unamused at the thought of two strangers joining his quest but Gandalf slowly talked him around. "Very well then, give your name and we shall return to my people to arrange the contracts for you and this Master Baggins" Thorin swallowed the last of his drink and waited. "My name is Anduin, daughter of Sarren, Master Oakenshield" I bowed my head again. Thorin grumbled to himself "be ready to leave at first light or you shall be left behind" and with that he got up and bowed his head to Gandalf. He disappeared down the hall and I was left alone with Gandalf. "He doesn't trust me does he?" I asked the Wizard, who shook his head "that he doesn't but he has great cause to despise Smaug and wants nothing to hinder his quest for revenging his people's suffering in the wake of the Dragon". Gandalf rose "you shall hear more about it when we reach Thorin's halls, I now bid you goodnight" away he went as well. I suddenly wondered whether Thorin had walked or ridden to Bree, so I went out to the stable and examined the occupants. I saw two horses, a couple of donkeys and a gorgeous brown pony. So Thorin and Gandalf rode, which meant I now needed to procure a steed. I went back into the inn and sought out the bar-keep "have you any horses for sale?" I asked. He said yes and I paid him handsomely and retired to my room.

When the dawn broke I had carefully arranged my provisions on the back of my horse. He was a beautiful creature, sturdy of limb with a fire in his eye; which then gave him the name of Fireye. I had only waited a short time when Gandalf and Thorin joined me and loaded their steeds as well. We set off in silence and took up a steady pace; by nightfall on the third day we were many miles from Bree. We made camp on the edge of Chetwood and I was on first watch. I could hear Thorin and Gandalf talking on the other side of the fire; discussing the route to the Misty Mountains and the number of Dwarves that would be going. Over the course of the journey Thorin barely spoke to me and it was starting to get me down. I could see that this journey was going to be tough enough with a dragon to face at the end of it, but I hoped that the rest of the Dwarves were not all like Thorin. If I had to spend the entire journey with only myself and Gandalf to talk to, I think I shall become quite mad.

I need not to have feared madness; for it turned out that though the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains were wary of me, they seemed to enjoy talking with me. It was mainly the youngest of them that showed genuine interest in me however, under Thorin's ever watchful eye, they dared not get to close. Before long the Company was decided and the Dwarves set off for the Shire. Thorin was heading North to a meeting of the Dwarf Lords and would meet up with the rest soon enough. I travelled back to the Shire with Gandalf and we booked rooms for the Company at the Green Dragon Inn. "It is now time to let Bilbo know what is happening" Gandalf spoke suddenly one evening. The Dwarves had all arrived and Gandalf felt that now was the time to begin the journey in earnest. Gandalf went out one morning and when he didn't return I began to worry. Again my fear was unfounded as by suppertime the Wizard was amongst us again. "How are we to find the house of this Burglar?" the Dwarf named Dwalin asked. "All you need do is look for a smial with a mark on the door indicating a Burglar for hire" the Dwarves muttered amongst themselves "I think it would be wise to stagger your arrivals as well, we do not need to overwhelm the Hobbit with you all at once" the Dwarves agreed and began organising who was to leave first. They eventually sorted themselves out and Dwalin left first; followed ten minutes later by Balin. Fili and Kili headed out next and Gandalf tried to get the rest to split up but they were having none of that. As the last group of Dwarves headed out Gandalf and I followed. As we approached the smial I could hear a commotion inside, this was joined by shouting when Bofur rang the doorbell. The door was opened with enough force to send the Dwarves flying backwards into the doorway with fat Bombur on top of everyone. The Hobbit sighed in defeat it seemed when he saw who was standing behind the Dwarves "Gandalf ", he grudgingly let us all in and the fun began.


	2. An Unexpected Party

**An Unexpected Party**

The Dwarves soon began raiding Bilbo's pantry. The poor creature scurried back and forth in a vain attempt to get the Dwarves to listen to him. "Those are my plates! Excuse me! Not my wine. Put that back. Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please!" he was spinning in circles and then Bombur exited the pantry with three wheels of cheese. "Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?" Bofur walked past "cheese knife? He eats it by the block". I had to move out of the way as Oin and Gloin brought chairs from another room. That really upset Bilbo "no, no, that's Grandpa Mungo's chair! No, I'm sorry; you'll have to take it back please." Oin gestured to his ear "I cannot hear what you're saying!" he was quite deaf. "Take it back…it's antique, not for sitting on!" Oin ignored him and proceeded to the dining room. Bilbo headed off down the hall "that's a book, not a coaster. Put that map down, thank you". The Dwarves went to and from the pantry at a good pace, and amidst the food Ori was placing crockery.

Dori approached Gandalf with a tray of tea "excuse me, Mr. Gandalf, can I tempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?" the Wizard looked down and shook his head "oh, no thank you, Dori, a little red wine for me, I think". Gandalf left the dining room and, trying to avoid the chandelier, began counting the Dwarves. "Fili, Kili" two young Dwarves with a barrel of ale smiled at the Wizard "Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori…Ori" Bilbo wrestled a bowl of tomatoes away from the small Dwarf exclaiming "not my prize winners!" a fierce looking Dwarf with an axe fragment in his forehead started talking to the Wizard in a different language and he gestured to his arm. "Yes, you're quite right, Bifur. We appear to be one Dwarf short". Gandalf turned to the bald Dwarf leaning against the wall "he is late, is all" Dwalin said "he travelled north to a meeting of our kin. He will come". Dori appeared with a glass of wine "Mr. Gandalf?" the Wizard looked down "a little glass of red wine, as requested. It's, eh, got a fruity bouquet". He handed the glass to Gandalf "ah, cheers" he drained it immediately and looked a little sad about it. I realised I was going to miss out on any of the food and drink, so I quickly filled a plate and tankard and sat between Gandalf and Bofur at the table.

The Dwarves were having a grand feast and were throwing food at one another. Bofur held up a boiled egg "Bombur, catch!" he threw it at his brother, who caught it in his mouth. All the Dwarves cheered and threw more food around. I looked at Bilbo and felt a little bit sorry for him. He was looking at his bare pantry in a stupor while the Dwarves continued to make a mess of his dining room. Fili, one of the younger Dwarves, stomped his way down the table carrying tankards of ale. "Who wants an ale?" he asked stepping on plates and knocking things over "here you go" he passed the ale around and sat back down. Poor old Oin had his ear trumpet filled with ale by Dwalin and Bofur laughed so hard at what one of the others said, he fell backwards off his chair. Once he'd righted himself he yelled out "on the count of three! One!...Two!" they never made it to three as all the Dwarves went silent as they drained their tankards. Quite a messy business too, the ale spilt over their beards and down their fronts. Nori then let out a small burp, only to be outdone by Ori who stunned all the Dwarves with the size of his burp.

The Dwarves finished eating and started walking around; I refilled my tankard, and stood next to Bofur in front of the kitchen fire. "Does this happen every time you sit down to eat?" I asked the Dwarf. "It most certainly does, especially if we haven't seen each other in a while" Bofur turned towards me "so are you joining us on the journey then?" I nodded "well then if you don't mind, I appoint myself your expert guide to the ways of us Dwarves" he made a comical bow. "Excuse me; that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" Bilbo grabbed a doily from Nori as the Dwarf went past. "But it's full of holes!" Bofur chimed in as he straightened up "it's supposed to be like that, it's crochet" the Hobbit folded the doily. "Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you got the balls for it" Bofur chortled as Bilbo started muttering to himself. "Bebother and confusticate these Dwarves!" he put the doily down and pinched the bridge of his nose "my dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?" Gandalf came up next to the Hobbit. "What's the matter? I'm surrounded by Dwarves. What are they doing here?" he was getting flustered "oh, they're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them" Gandalf smiled as Bofur grabbed the sausages from Nori and started a game of tug-of-war. "I don't want to get used to them. Look at the state of my kitchen! There's mud trod into the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry" Bilbo led Gandalf down the hallway "I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom; they've all but destroyed the plumbing!" I moved to the kitchen doorway so I could hear better "I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" I felt sorry for the Hobbit all over again. Ori walked up to him and in a quite voice spoke "excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" he looked at the plate in his hand and back up at Bilbo.

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me" Fili took the plate from Ori and threw it to his brother. Kili caught it and threw it past me to Bifur, who was standing at the sink. Soon there was crockery flying through the air from every direction. Gandalf and I had to duck out the way as dishes and cutlery flew past our heads. "Excuse me! That's my mother's West Farthing pottery; it's over a hundred years old!" Bilbo's plea was ignored as more dishes were thrown at Bifur, who caught them without looking. Bofur joined Nori, Dori and Gloin at the table, and drummed the table with some of the cutlery. "Can you not do that? You'll blunt them" the remark got all the Dwarves smiling "Ooh, d'hear that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives" Bofur had a mischievous look to him as the Dwarves started singing.

"**Blunt the knives; bend the forks**

**Smash the bottles and burn the corks.**

**Chip the glasses and crack the plates**

**That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!**

**Cut the cloth and tread on the fat**

**Leave the bones on the bedroom mat.**

**Pour the milk on the pantry floor**

**Splash the wine on every door.**

**Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl**

**Pound them up with a thumping pole.**

**When you've finished, if any are whole**

**Send them down the hall to roll**

…

**That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"**

Everyone laughed when Bilbo rushed into the kitchen to find all his dishes clean and neatly stacked. The sound of three loud knocks on the door suddenly interrupted the laughter; everyone went silent. "He is here" Gandalf announced as we all looked around. He opened the door and light spilled out onto Thorin's imposing figure. "Gandalf" he said in greeting as he made his way into the house "I thought you said this place would be easy to find". I noticed some of the Dwarves bow their heads "I lost my way; twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door" Thorin took his cloak off and handed it to Kili before turning to face Gandalf. "Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo sounded exasperated. "There is a mark; I put it there myself" Gandalf replied "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield". Thorin looked down at Bilbo "so this is the Hobbit. Tell me Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" Bilbo seemed uncomfortable "pardon me?" "Axe or sword? What is your weapon of choice?" Thorin stood in front of Bilbo with his arms crossed, waiting for a reply. "Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant" I hid a smile at the way he tried to seem tough. "Thought as much" Thorin said "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar" all the Dwarves laughed as they made their way back to the dining table.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked once they were all seated. I stood against the doorframe, so Thorin could sit down. "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms" Thorin replied garnering a murmur of joy. "What do the Dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked. "They will not come" this news seemed to disappoint the Dwarves "they say this quest is ours and ours alone" Thorin seemed almost sad as he ate his soup. Bilbo came forward "you're going on a quest?" Gandalf looked at him "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light". Bilbo brought a candle to the table and leant over the map Gandalf had placed there, I leant closer and felt my heart stir as I looked upon the small image of Dale. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak" Gandalf said pointing his pipe at the map. Bilbo leant a little closer "the Lonely Mountain" he stepped back "aye" Gloin said "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time" most of the Dwarves grumbled "ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold; when the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end" Oin replied. Bilbo looked concerned after hearing the word 'beast'. "Uh, what beast?" he asked "well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals…" Bofur replied. "Yes I know what a dragon is" Bilbo seemed to turn pale at the thought of the dragon. "I'm not afraid!" Ori stood up "I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie" Dori pulled his brother's arm "sit down!" he said.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest" Balin looked around the table as the Dwarves started making noise again. "Hey, who are you calling dim?" Nori's voice pushed through the rabble and I hid another smile. "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last Dwarf!" Fili slammed his fist on the table, "and you forget we have a Wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time" Kili added. "Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I…" Gandalf tried to refute what Kili said but was overridden by Dori "how many then?" Gandalf looked at him "uh, what?" "Well, how many dragons have you killed?" Gandalf started choking on his pipe smoke. "Go on. Give us a number!" Dori was getting angry and it spread to the rest of the Dwarves. Thorin stood up "Shazara! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look East to the Mountain, assessing, wondering; weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?" all the Dwarves cheered and Thorin sat down. "You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain" Balin argued back "that, my dear Balin, is not entirely true" Gandalf said producing an ornate key out of thin air. "How came you by this?" Thorin asked in wonder "it was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now" Gandalf handed the key to Thorin.

"If there is a key, there must be a door" Fili said looking around. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls" Gandalf indicated the runes on the map with his pipe. "There's another way in" Kili seemed pleased with his observation. "Well if we can find it, but Dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe it can be done" Gandalf met everyone's eye. "That's why we need a burglar" Ori piped up, Bilbo nodded "a good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine" Gloin leant forwards "and are you?" he asked. "Am I what?'' Bilbo seemed confused. "He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" Oin seemed happy. "M-me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life" Bilbo was getting more uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material" Balin glanced at Bilbo; who nodded in agreement. "Aye, the Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves" Dwalin looked Bilbo up and down and glanced at me as well. The Dwarves began arguing again until Gandalf stood up and cast a darkness over the room.

"Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he his" Gandalf sat back down and the shadow disappeared. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage" Gandalf looked at Thorin "you asked me to find the fifteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself". Gandalf looked at Bilbo and then at me; he winked and I smiled to myself. "Very well. We will do it your way" Thorin overrode Bilbo's objection and looked at Balin "give them the contracts". "Alright, we're off!" Bofur seemed overjoyed as Balin stood up "it's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration; funeral expenses, so forth". Balin gave one contract to Thorin; who thrust it at Bilbo, and one to me. "Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo didn't like the sound of that as he stepped past me and started reading the contract. Thorin stood up and leant close to Gandalf "I cannot guarantee his safety" the Wizard nodded "understood", "nor will I be responsible for his fate" Gandalf was quiet for a moment "agreed".

Next to me in the hall, Bilbo was reading parts of his contract out loud "terms: cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fifteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations…evisceration…incineration?" Bilbo turned back to the Dwarves looking slightly scared. "Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye" Bofur didn't seem to realize Bilbo was starting to turn pale. "You alright laddie?" Balin asked, Bilbo bent over "uh, yeah…feel a bit faint" Bofur stood up and moved to the doorway "think furnace with wings". Bilbo was starting to turn green "air, I-I-I need air" Bofur didn't seem to notice Bilbo's condition "flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash". Bilbo straightened up and tried to compose himself "hmmm. Nope" he fell down to the floor in a faint. I knelt down next to the unconscious Hobbit and picked him up. Gandalf rose "very helpful, Bofur" the Wizard came over and showed me where I could put the Hobbit, so he could recover.

Once Bilbo was safe in his chair and supervised by Gandalf, I sat back down at the kitchen table and read through my contract. Bofur, Ori, Fili and Kili were also at the table and they kept looking at me. Being stared at made it difficult to focus "why are you staring at me?" I asked without looking up. "Bofur says you're coming with us" I looked up when Ori spoke "and we were wondering why?" I glanced around and couldn't see Thorin anywhere. "Bofur's right, I am coming" I said "when Smaug burnt Dale he killed my great-grandparents parents" I took a deep breath "so I'm going to make sure that beast is destroyed before he decides to burn Lake Town as well". "Why don't you want him to burn Lake Town?" Kili asked; I looked at the young Dwarf and saw excitement in his eye; he couldn't wait to face a dragon. "The rest of my family are living there and my brother has a young son" my heart fluttered as I remembered my sweet nephew's face. Bilbo walked past and I heard the end of a conversation "there is no choice, Balin. Not for me" Thorin's voice issued from a passage near the kitchen "then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done" Balin replied.

All the Dwarves gathered in Bilbo's living room and I was left alone in the kitchen. I got up and hunted around in Bilbo's study for a pen and ink. I signed my contract and could hear the Dwarves starting to hum a tune. It wasn't long before Thorin started singing.

"**Far over the Misty Mountains cold**

**To dungeons deep and caverns old**

**We must away ere break of day**

**To find out long-forgotten gold**

**The pines were roaring on the height**

**The winds were moaning in the night**

**The fire was red, it flaming spread**

**The trees like torches blazed with light"**

I sought out Balin and handed him my contract. "Welcome to the Company lassie" he said patting my arm "would you be kind enough to see if Mr. Baggins is still awake". I wandered off down the passage ways until I found Bilbo's room; I stuck my head around the door and saw he was sound asleep. I quietly closed his door and made my way back to Balin. "Our little friend is sleeping like a babe" I looked around the house and grimaced at the mess "should we clean up and go back to the Green Dragon?" I asked "I think that would be a good idea" Balin agreed. Bofur came up behind me and hooked an arm around mine "don't worry, we Dwarves are excellent at cleaning up after ourselves" he dragged me to a chair "so you just sit there, while we take care of everything" he made a funny bow and disappeared into the pantry. In half an hour Bilbo's house was as neat as it was before the Dwarves arrived and we were making ready to leave. After forcing Bombur away from the bare pantry, we were making our way down the hill and back to our lodgings. I looked back at Bilbo's house and hoped he would come along.


	3. Troll-shaw

**Troll-shaw**

When Bilbo didn't show at the Green Dragon, at the time mentioned in the contract, Thorin decided to leave without him and headed down the road leading out of the Shire. We all fell in behind and soon were riding through a nice wood. The Dwarves took this opportunity to place bets on whether Bilbo would catch up. Most of them didn't think he would but Oin, Gandalf and myself thought he would. I had just ridden up to Bofur's right when I heard the sound of running feet behind us. I turned to Bofur "I think I just won me some money" Bofur looked at me "how d'you figure that?" he asked. I turned around in my saddle and pointed at Bilbo's approaching figure "that's how" I laughed so hard at Bofur's face I nearly fell out the saddle. "Wait! Wait!" Bilbo cried out; all the Dwarves stopped their ponies and Bilbo caught up. He waved his contract in the air "I signed it" he handed it to Balin and smiled at Gandalf. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield" Balin smiled and folded the contract up. "Give him a pony" Thorin wasn't impressed Bilbo had turned up. "No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I-I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I-I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once…" Bilbo was cut off as Fili and Kili grabbed him by the shoulders and put him one of the baggage ponies.

"Come on, Nori, pay up" Oin called out, Nori tossed him a bag of money "hey, hey" Oin seemed pleased with himself. I caught my bag and chuckled again at the look on Bofur's face. "What's that about?" Bilbo asked Gandalf "oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't" the Wizard replied. "What did you think?" Bilbo asked uncertainly, Gandalf was quiet for a moment until Nori threw him a bag "my dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second" he laughed as he put his share into to his bag. I was talking quietly with Bofur when Bilbo let out a loud sneeze. I turned my head and saw the hobbit digging through his pockets "oh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction" he kept searching his pockets and suddenly looked shocked. "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around" he called out, causing the entire company to reign in their steeds. "What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked "I forgot my handkerchief" I laughed to myself and dug in my saddlebag for a spare. Bofur beat me to it and tore a strip off his shirt. He tossed it to Bilbo "here! Use this" he turned back around and laughed at the look on Bilbo's face.

"Move on" Thorin moved off and I slowed down to be closer to Bilbo. "I think you would prefer using this" I handed him my spare handkerchief, patted him on the shoulder and rejoined Bofur. I shoved the Dwarf in the shoulder "you're so mean" I was met with a cheeky smile "can't help it" he replied. We were well on the way to becoming friends I could tell and Bofur spent the next few hours telling me about what all the Dwarves did for a living. I could hear Gandalf talking to Bilbo "you'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead". We spent a few days traveling in the beautiful wild of Middle Earth; through hills, plains and forest.

We made camp near a cliff edge and Fili and Kili were on watch. After dinner we all made ourselves as comfortable as possible on the rocks. I am a light sleeper and soon the sound of Bombur's snoring woke me up. I sat up and saw Bilbo had woken up as well. I watched him as he quietly got up and made his way over to the ponies; he looked around and gave his pony an apple. "Hello, girl. That's a good girl. It's our little secret, Myrtle; you must tell no one. Sh, sh" Bilbo patted Myrtle and then a scream cut the peaceful silence. Bilbo hurried over to Fili and Kili "what was that?" he asked nervously "Orcs" Kili replied. Another scream sounded "Orcs?' Bilbo looked around and Thorin woke up. "Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them" Fili joined in. "They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood" Bilbo looked at Kili and then out over the cliff. Fili and Kili looked at each other and started laughing. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?" Thorin got up "we didn't mean anything by it" Kili looked at the ground. "No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world" Thorin walked off and stood next to the ponies.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs" Balin stood next to Fili "after the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first". I rose and stood next to the fire so I could hear Balin properly. "Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King". Bilbo and I looked at Thorin. "Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us" we looked back at Balin and I saw a flicker of sadness pass over his face.

He looked at Thorin "that is when I saw him: a young Dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armour rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield" Balin paused. "Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated". Balin looked sad again "But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived". Balin looked at Thorin again "and I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King". Thorin turned around and saw the company was all looking at him. He started walking back towards the fire. "The Pale Orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked "he slunk back into the hole whence he came" Thorin said walking past myself and Bilbo "that filth died of his wounds long ago".

A few days later the sky decided to turn black with rain clouds. We were all quite miserable; drenched and freezing, as we made our muddy way through another forest. "Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori was quite fed up with the rain. "It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done" Gandalf replied "if you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another Wizard" Dori didn't seem to like that but he stayed quiet. Bofur was next to me and he didn't seem to care that his pipe had gone out. At least his head was drier than mine; all I had was the hood of my cloak, whereas he had his fuzzy hat. I heard Bilbo ask Gandalf about other Wizards "are there any?", "what?", "other Wizards?" "There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names". "And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked "well, that would be Radagast, the Brown" Gandalf replied. "Is he a great Wizard or is he…more like you?" Gandalf looked offended "I think he's a very great Wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world".

The rain finally stopped and we arrived at ruined farmhouse. "We'll camp here for the night" Thorin said after dismounting "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them". Once the ponies were unloaded, the brothers moved them a short distance away from the camp. I was laying my bedroll next to Bofur's when Gandalf walked past into the ruins. "A farmer and his family used to live here" he didn't seem happy. Thorin was still barking orders "Oin, Gloin" Oin looked up "aye?" "get a fire going" Oin put his ear trumpet down "right you are". In minutes we had a blazing fire. Gandalf was walking about in the ruins "I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley". Thorin stomped past "I have told you already, I will not go near that place". "Why not? The Elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice" Gandalf was trying to reason with Thorin "I do not need their advice" Thorin replied. "We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us" Thorin looked up at Gandalf "help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing". So that's why Thorin had no love of Elves. "You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father" Gandalf looked down at the Dwarf "you are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold onto the past" Gandalf was getting angry. "I did not know they were yours to keep" Thorin retorted, equally angry.

Gandalf stomped off past Bilbo; who was talking to Balin. "Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked. I got up and began helping Bombur and Bofur prepare dinner. "To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense" the Wizard made his way through the Dwarves "who's that?" Bilbo asked. "Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of Dwarves for one day" Gandalf disappeared around the edge of the trees. "Is he coming back?" Bilbo worriedly asked Balin, who sighed in answer. Thorin watched him go "come on Bombur, we're hungry". Soon dinner was ready and Bofur was serving. I got my serve and sat down next to Bifur; even though the Dwarf looked scary he was nice enough. Bilbo was watching the trail that Gandalf had taken "he's been a long time". "Who?" Bofur asked filling up two bowls "Gandalf" Bilbo replied coming back to the fire. "He's a Wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favour; take this to the lads" Bofur handed Bilbo the two bowls and turned to his brother "stop it, you've had plenty". Bilbo headed off into the dark to where Fili and Kili were watching the ponies.

We had all finished eating and I was doing the washing up; when all of a sudden Fili and Kili came rushing out of the trees. Thorin jumped up "what's wrong?" he asked as his nephews stood panting next to the fire. "T-trolls s-stole some p-ponies" Kili gasped "Bilbo t-tried to get the ponies back b-but got himself caught" Fili added. The Dwarves picked up their weapons and followed Kili back to where the trolls were. I rushed over to my pack and pulled out my bow and quiver, and caught up just as the Dwarves started their attack. I stood at the edge of the clearing and fired arrow after arrow at the trolls, being careful not to hit a Dwarf or Bilbo. Once my arrows were spent I leapt upon the nearest troll and started stabbing him with my dagger. From the corner of my eye I saw Bilbo free the ponies and stand with his back to the fight. "Bilbo turn around!" I yelled "look out behind you!" he didn't hear me so I tried to get to him before the troll did. I didn't make it because Ori dropped on top of me, after being freed from the grip of another troll.

Two trolls held Bilbo by his arms and legs and once Thorin noticed the attack stopped. "Bilbo!" Kili started forwards but was stopped by Thorin "no!". "Lay down your arms" the troll growled "or we'll rip his off" Thorin looked frustrated for a moment before planting his sword in the ground. We all followed suit and before we knew it half of us were in sacks, while the other half were being turned on a spit over the fire. The trolls were talking to each other "don't bother cooking them. Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly" I didn't fancy that at all and I tried to wriggle my arm out of the sack. That wasn't going to be easy as the sacks were tied quite tight. I looked at the spit and my chest tightened at the sight of Bofur and Ori trussed up like chickens. "They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage" the third troll was saying "is this really necessary?'' Dori yelled out, "ooh, that does sound quite nice". As I was laying on top of the Dwarves in sacks, I fell heavily on top of Fili when the rest started to move around. Fili grunted in pain when I landed on top of him "I'm sorry" I whispered.

"Never mind the seasoning; we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, so let's get a move one. I don't fancy being turned into stone" Bilbo perked up when he heard that. "Wait! You are making a terrible mistake" he said getting up awkwardly in his sack. "You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori yelled from the spit. "Half-wits? What does that make us?" Bofur retorted. "Uh, I meant with the, uh, the seasoning" I looked at Bilbo incredulously, was he trying to give the trolls ideas. "What about the seasoning?" the troll growled "well have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up" Bilbo replied. That didn't go down well with the Dwarves; they all started shouting. "What do you know about cooking Dwarf?" the troll at the spit asked, "shut up, and let the, uh, flurgaburburrahobbit talk" another troll said.

Bilbo looked stumped for a moment "uh, th-the secret to cooking Dwarf is, umm" the troll leant closer "yes? Come on". "It's, uh" Bilbo was struggling to come up with something "tell us the secret" the troll pressed. "Y-yes, I'm telling you, the secret is to…skin them first!" there was an instant outcry from the Dwarves. "I won't forget that!" Dwalin yelled from the spit as the Dwarves in sacks cursed Bilbo. "Tom, get me filleting knife" the troll seemed pleased with the 'secret' Bilbo had just told him. "What a load of rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scoff them, I say, boots and all" I noticed Gandalf slip behind some trees behind the trolls; Bilbo obviously did too. "He's right! Nothing wrong with a bit of raw Dwarf! Nice and crunchy" the troll picked poor Bombur up. "Not that one, he-he's infected!" Bilbo said quickly "you what?" the troll at the spit wasn't happy. "Yeah, he's got worms in his…tubes" Bilbo was thinking quickly.

Bombur was dropped back onto the pile of bagged Dwarves and they all groaned at the pressure. "In fact they all have, they're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't" Bilbo sounded pleased with himself and then the Dwarves had to ruin the moment. "Did he say parasites? Oin asked "we don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili yelled back. Bilbo's shoulders slumped "what are you talking about, laddie?'' Gloin chimed in "shut it!" I hissed. Thorin seemed to understand Bilbo's plan, as he kicked Kili to shut him up. They finally understood "I've got parasites as big as my arm" Oin said "mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!" Kili added. The Dwarves on the spit joined in as well "we're riddled" Nori said "yes, I'm riddled" Ori chimed in "yes we are. Badly!" Dori added. The trolls weren't happy "what would you have us do, then, let 'em all go?" Bilbo shrugged "well…" "You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools!" the troll was mad. "Ferret?" Bilbo didn't like that "fools?" one of the trolls said. Gandalf appeared suddenly on top of a large rock "the dawn will take you all!". "Who's that?" one troll asked "no idea" another answered "can we eat 'im too?" the third troll asked. Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, causing it to split in half.

The sun burst through into the clearing and soon all three trolls were turned to stone. We all cheered; the Dwarves on the spit were still uncomfortable though "oh, get your foot out of my back!" Dwalin grumbled. I was so relieved; I made a determined effort to roll off Fili. He made a happy sound when I hit the dirt beside him "I am really sorry about that" I said as Gandalf made his way down the slope to set about freeing us all. "Don't worry, we Dwarves are made of some strong stuff" Fili smiled. I looked back at the spit and saw Bofur had been cut down. I sent a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens as it seemed he was all in one piece. After this little experience I could hardly wait to see what the rest of journey threw at us.


	4. The Wizard, Radagast

**The Wizard, Radagast**

Once freed from my sack I rushed over to Bofur and Ori and pulled them into a tight embrace. They looked surprised "I'm so glad you're okay" I mumbled into Bofur's shoulder. He patted me on the back "hey don't worry about it" I looked at him and sniffed. "I thought I was going to lose you both" Bofur touched my face "hey don't cry, we're all in one piece" he laughed and I let go of the Dwarves and tried not to laugh myself. Ori handed me a handkerchief and patted my arm "we're your friends Anduin, we're not going anywhere" I looked down at the small Dwarf and smiled "thank you" I hugged him gently and turned around in search of Bilbo. I located him and hugged him as well "I never knew Halflings had such a way with words" a faint blush dusted his nose "it was nothing really" I smiled and patted his shoulder. "I think even Thorin is grateful to you" I looked around and saw Gandalf deep in conversation with our leader. Bilbo shuffled his feet "he seems like he's more interested in where the trolls came from" I looked down at the Hobbit "shall we go and see where they're going?" he agreed and we stepped around the dwarves and got within earshot of Gandalf and Thorin.

"They could not have moved in daylight'" Gandalf said looking up at the stone troll. "There must be a cave nearby" Thorin strode off and began searching the surrounding area. The rest of the Dwarves followed as we came upon a rocky outcrop, with a deep cave underneath a rocky overhang. Gandalf lead the way in with a light on the end of his staff. "Oh, what is that stench?" Nori asked as we carefully made our way down the slight slope. "It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch" Gandalf went farther into the cave and had a look around. I spotted a few bows and dug around them to see if I could find any arrows. Most of my original arrows had been broken when they hit the trolls, so finding such a huge pile of new ones was quite exciting. After filling my quiver I hunted around for a sword. I couldn't rely on my dagger for the rest of the journey so I was happy to find a matching pair of short-swords. I found a scabbard that fitted the swords and found it quite comfortable to wear. Next to me Bofur had discovered a huge pile of coins. "Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it" he nudged the coins with his foot; Gloin had the same idea "agreed. Nori, get a shovel".

Thorin walked past and came across a stash of swords. He pulled a couple out "these swords were not made by any troll" he handed one to Gandalf "nor were they made by any smith among men" the wizard replied. Gandalf partly drew the sword "these were forged in Gondolin by the high elves of the First Age". Thorin made to put his back in disgust "you could not wish for a finer blade" Gandalf said, stopping Thorin in his tracks. I was helping Bofur fill a chest with treasure and I looked up to see Dwalin looking down at us. "We're making a long term deposit" Gloin said as we started to bury the chest. Dwalin looked away with a grin on his face. "Let's get out of this foul place" Thorin said suddenly "come on, let's go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori! Anduin!" we followed Thorin out and I got to look at my new swords in better light. I could tell they were well made and, turning the blade slightly, I could see the makers mark. My heart stirred when I realised it was the mark of Dale. I sat down next to Bilbo and started cleaning the swords with a scrap of my shirt. Gandalf emerged from the cave with a small sword in his hand. "Here. This is about your size" he handed Bilbo the sword. "I can't take this" Bilbo tried to refuse but the Wizard was having none of that "that blade is of Elvish make, which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby". "I have never used a sword in my life" I looked up at Bilbo's uncertain face "and I hope you never have to" Gandalf replied "but if you do remember this. True courage is knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one". "Something's coming!" Thorin yelled suddenly, snapping everyone to attention. "Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves" Gandalf drew his sword and strode off into the woods. I sheathed my swords and knocked an arrow in my bow, and quickly followed the scurrying Dwarves. Bilbo soon followed as we headed into the woods.

All of a sudden a sled came flying through the trees, pulled by huge rabbits. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" the little man on the sled yelled as he looked around at all of us. "Radagast! Radagast the Brown" Gandalf sheathed his sword and stepped up to the sled "what on earth are you doing here?" "I was looking for you Gandalf, something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong" the small Wizard said, "yes?" Gandalf waited for his friend to speak. Radagast opened and shut his mouth a few times but nothing came out "oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue" we lowered our weapons as it seemed he was no threat "oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old…" he stuck his tongue out and Gandalf pulled a bug out of his mouth "…stick insect" Radagast finished. I looked at the Dwarves; they all had matching expressions of uncertainty.

The two Wizards moved out of earshot and started conversing. Radagast handed something to Gandalf, who looked dumbfounded at the object. Suddenly a howl sounded in the distance "was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked nervously. "Wolves? No, that is not a wolf" Bofur turned around as a huge Warg leapt over the top of him. I loosed an arrow into it and Thorin finished it off. I knocked another arrow as another Warg leapt out of the trees. Kili shot it, but it got up and snapped at Thorin; Dwalin killed it with a powerful swing of his war hammer. "Warg-scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind" Thorin removed his sword from the Wargs' neck and looked around. "Orc pack?" Bilbo looked scared "who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf strode forwards. "No one" Thorin replied "who did you tell?" Gandalf pressed "no one I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin stepped closer to Gandalf "you are being hunted" the Wizard replied. "We have to get out of here" Dwalin said, "we can't! we have no ponies; they bolted" Ori said running down the hill. "I'll draw them off" Radagast announced "these are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you" Gandalf argued "these are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try" Radagast replied.

Radagast shot out of the trees right in front of the orcs "come and get me! Ha ha!" he sped off across the plain. "Come on!" Gandalf called, leading us off in the other direction. All of a sudden the Wargs passed right in front of us "stay together" Gandalf whispered heading off in another direction "move!" Thorin shouted. I cringed at how his voice echoed off the rocks around us "are you trying to get us killed?" I hissed when he appeared beside me. "No" he replied "well try not to shout next time then" I retorted "if you haven't noticed these rocks make any sound echo" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when Thorin shrugged and ran past me. Thorin stopped behind some rocks as the Wargs passed by not very far away. The momentum of running pushed Ori out from cover "Ori, no!" Thorin grabbed the small Dwarf by the sleeve and pulled back to safety. "Come on! Quick!" Gandalf pointed in yet another direction and the Dwarves headed off "where are you leading us?" Thorin asked as we went past him. We hid behind a huge outcrop of rock and tried to catch our breath.

We didn't have much time because a Warg and its rider had scented us and had perched themselves above us. Thorin looked at Kili; with a resolute face the young Dwarf knocked an arrow and fired at the Warg. It fell down in front of us and was quickly dispatched. Not quick enough however, as the rest of the Wargs and Orcs heard the noise and were quickly approaching. "Move. Run!" Gandalf shouted heading off over the grassy plain. "There they are!" Gloin called out, "this way! Quickly!" Gandalf changed directions slightly and we ended up in a clearing; the Wargs hot on our tail. "There's more coming!" Kili yelled knocking another arrow. "Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin yelled as escape routes were steadily cut off. I joined Kili and together we shot down a few, but more were closing in. "We're surrounded!" Fili yelled; his sword in his hand. Ori fired a rock from his slingshot at the closest Warg and all it did was make it angry.

"Where's Gandalf?'' Kili asked, I looked around and couldn't see the Wizard anywhere "he's abandoned us!" Dwalin said. "You don't know that!" I yelled back after firing a few more arrows. The Wargs were closing in "hold your ground!" Thorin yelled pulling out his elf sword. "This way, you fools!" we all spun around at Gandalf's voice and saw the Wizard partially hidden by a large boulder. "Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!" Thorin stood on top of the boulder as the Dwarves ran for cover. The Dwarves were all disappearing but Kili and I were still shooting the Wargs "Kili! Anduin! Run!" Thorin shouted. We only just made it into the tunnel as horn blared from nowhere. An Orc suddenly fell down the shaft at our feet, Gandalf poked it with his staff and I let out a sigh of relief; it was dead. Thorin bent down and plucked an arrow from the Orcs' chest "Elves" he said throwing the arrow to the ground.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin called from the other end of the tunnel. "Follow it of course!" Bofur replied, heading off after Dwalin. "I think that would be wise" Gandalf seemed pleased as we followed Dwalin in single file. The pathway eventually lead out to an open plateau above a vast valley. In the distance I could see a grand building and my breath seemed to be stolen away at the beauty surrounding us. For a moment I forgot all about nearly dying and the quest; all I could focus on was the way the light spilled over the cliff and down onto the valley below. It was a truly magical sight; one that I will not forget as long as I live.


	5. Rivendell

**Rivendell**

Gandalf and Thorin got into an argument about turning up on the Elves doorstep. "This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy" Thorin wasn't happy. "You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself" Gandalf replied curtly. "You think the Elves will give our quest their blessings? They will try to stop us" Thorin was losing the argument "of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me" Gandalf spoke with a finality that even Thorin couldn't dispute. We slowly made our way down the thin pathway and through the tall pillars marking the entrance to Rivendell. A dark-haired Elf came down a flight of stairs in front of us "Mithrandir" he said when he reached the bottom. Gandalf looked up "ah, Lindir" it was obvious our Wizard knew the Elf and the Dwarves weren't too happy, they all started murmuring to each other.

The Elf said something in his own language that we couldn't understand "I must speak with Lord Elrond" Gandalf said in reply. "My Lord Elrond is not here" the Elf said with a slightly smug expression "not here? Where is he?" Gandalf asked. At that moment a horn sounded and a group of armed Elves on horseback rode down the pathway. "Hold ranks!" Thorin shouted and we made a tight circle with Bilbo in the middle. We brandished our weapons as the Elves started circling us before eventually stopping. One Elf spoke "Gandalf" the Wizard bowed "Lord Elrond" Gandalf spoke more Elvish. Elrond dismounted and hugged Gandalf "strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders" he said holding up an Orc sword "something, or someone, has drawn them near" he handed the sword to Lindir and turned around. "Ah, that may have been us" Gandalf said turning around. Thorin stepped forward and Elrond seemed to recognise him "welcome Thorin, son of Thrain". "I do not believe we have met" Thorin said looking up at the Elf with contempt "you have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain" I looked from Elrond to Thorin and could almost see the tension growing. "Indeed; he made no mention of you" Thorin was being quite rude but Elrond didn't bat an eye. He spoke in Elvish again and the Dwarves became even more uneasy "what is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin asked. "No, Master Gloin, he's offering you food" Gandalf replied exasperatedly; the Dwarves discussed this amongst themselves "do you think they'll have meat?" Bofur muttered to Gloin. Gloin shrugged and turned back around "ah well, in that case, lead on".

As we went past Elrond, I could feel his eyes intent on me. It was obvious that I was no Dwarf and I could almost hear the questions buzzing in his brain "why is there a human traveling with Dwarves? What is her purpose?" I ignored the nasty feeling in my stomach and followed the Dwarves into the Elven courtyard. The Dwarves complained instantly when they saw the spread of food at a low table. I sat next to Oin and started picking at my salad. Ori was looking at a lettuce leaf "try it. Just a mouthful" Dori coaxed his brother "I don't like green food" Ori put the leaf down. I looked at Dwalin digging through a bowl of salad "where is the meat?" he looked around in disgust. Next to me Oin stabbed a vegetable with his knife and looked at it in confusion. "Have they got any chips?" Ori asked "I don't think they do Ori" I replied spearing another tomato with my knife. The Dwarves were all looking at Bilbo and myself quite intently as we ate the salad. It was as though they expected us to drop dead "it won't kill you, you know" I said, glancing up at Elrond's table "Thorin's trying it too". Most of the Dwarves spun around in their chairs and saw Thorin put a tomato in his mouth. That was good enough for everyone else; they all started eating their salad. An Elvish lady was standing nearby playing some flute music; I thought it sounded quite nice but Oin had other ideas. He shoved his napkin into his ear-trumpet and gave Bofur a thumbs up when he couldn't hear the music anymore. Over at Elrond's table, the Elf lord was examining Thorin and Gandalf's swords. Bilbo looked at his little sword "I wouldn't bother, laddie. Swords are named for the great deeds they do in war" Balin said after we overheard the names and deeds of Thorin and Gandalf's swords. "What are you saying, my sword hasn't seen battle?" Bilbo looked at the old Dwarf "I'm not actually sure it is a sword; more of a letter opener, really" I laughed at the look on Bilbo's face.

The feast ended and the Dwarves made themselves comfortable in a secluded room. Thorin, Bilbo, Balin and Gandalf went off somewhere with Elrond and just as I was setting out my bed roll; an Elf came up to me. He bowed slightly "if it would please you, you may have use of a hot bath and a more comfortable sleeping place" he looked at the Dwarves and sniffed. The Dwarves were gathered around a fire they'd made from one of the Elvish chairs and seemed unembarrassed that most of them were in their underwear. I looked at the Elf "no thank you" I replied "I'm happy sleeping here" I looked around at the Dwarves and smiled. "But they are Dwarves and you are a human" the Elf wasn't understanding me "you don't have anything in common with them" my smile faded and the Dwarves all went silent. I slowly turned around and glared at the Elf "what would you know of my reasons to travel with them?" I tried not to shout "they are my friends and if I wish to sleep near them I will" my face was growing hot "no pointy-eared bastard is going to tell me what to do!" the Elf stepped back surprised; he bobbed his head jerkily and hurried away.

After a few minutes of silence, in which I collected myself, the Dwarves started cheering. I sat down in front of the fire and took a huge swig of the wine Nori stole from the dinner table. "Well, there's another Elf I've made my enemy" I muttered once the Dwarves had stopped cheering. Bofur was next to me roasting a sausage "another Elf?" he asked "yes, the first was the King of Mirkwood". "What did you do to annoy that traitor?" Dwalin asked "I only refused to tell him who I was and why I was traveling through the area" I replied with a sigh. The Dwarves laughed and went back to talking amongst themselves. Bofur looked at his cooked sausage thoughtfully "Bombur!" he threw it to his brother. The small sausage made the bench Bombur was sitting on groan and then collapse. We all thought that was hilarious and Bofur fell over sideways; the only one who didn't seem to find it funny was Bifur, who was roasting a pile of spinach. He looked around and seemed bemused as to what we were laughing at. Eventually Thorin and the others returned and we all settled down to sleep.

It seemed I'd only just closed my eyes before I was being nudged awake. "What is it?" I asked yawning "Thorin says we have to leave now" Ori whispered. I sat up and saw the Dwarves quietly rolling their blankets and organizing their packs. Balin came up to me "could you try waking Master Baggins, lassie?" we looked at Bilbo's sleeping form "I've tried but…" Balin shrugged. I knelt next to Bilbo and whispered in his ear "if you don't wake up you'll miss your breakfast". The hobbit's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly "I haven't missed breakfast have I?" he asked, I laughed and handed him an apple I'd saved from dinner the night before. "Sorry, it's all you get" I said when Bilbo's face fell "come on, pack your stuff, we have to leave" I stood up and went back to packing my things. Once we'd packed everything, we quietly made our way back to entrance to Rivendell. I didn't feel comfortable leaving Gandalf behind but Thorin was our leader and he said that this was all part of the plan. What else could I do, I just hoped we wouldn't need him too soon.


	6. Goblin Kingdom

**Goblin Kingdom**

The sun was just peeking over the horizon as we began to ascend the path. "Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on" Thorin stood to the side and let Balin go ahead. The Dwarves began following Balin and had to move around Bilbo, who was standing in the way looking back at Rivendell. "Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up" Thorin turned away and Bilbo fell in behind. We passed over ranges, mountains and plains; stopping only when necessary, as we made our way towards the Misty Mountains. When we reached the mountains, the only path I could see was a thin strip that ran along the edge of a steep drop. To make us all feel even better, the weather decided to turn ugly and a huge storm blew in from nowhere. I was walking behind Balin and I felt quite miserable. "We must find shelter!" Thorin yelled over the wind "look out!" I heard Dwalin yell from the back of the group. We looked up and saw a boulder hurtling through the air. It crashed into the mountain above us and sent rocks falling all about us.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin pointed in the distance and my stomach flipped as a huge figure came out of the gloom. "Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" I looked behind me to see Bofur step out from the group "take cover, you fool!" Thorin yelled back. Another Giant appeared and was sent stumbling backwards as a rock connected with its head. The ground started shaking violently and a crack appeared between Fili and Kili. "What's happening?" Kili sounded scared "Kili! Grab my hand!" Fili held his hand out but the rock split apart with half our group on one side, and the other half on the other side. It turned out we were on the legs of yet another Giant, and we held on for our lives as we were flung around as the Giant moved. Thorin spotted an opportunity to get to safety when the leg our group was on smashed into another part of the path. We stood there and watched as the other group continued to be flung around. Suddenly the Giant began falling and its leg was getting closer to the cliff edge. We watched in horror as the leg smashed into the rock not far from where we were standing. "No! No! Fili!" Thorin hurried to where the Giant had been. "Bofur!" I yelled out following Thorin.

We turned the corner and to our immense relief our companions were alright. Bofur sat up, dislodging the rocks that were on him and looked around "where's Bilbo? where's the hobbit?". "There!" Ori pointed to a pair of hands on the edge of the cliff. Ori tried to reach Bilbo but he slipped a bit further down the cliff. Thorin swung down over the edge and pushed Bilbo up into the arms of Bofur, only to lose his grip and start falling himself. Dwalin pulled Thorin back up with quite a bit of effort and sat back panting "I thought we'd lost our burglar" he said wearily. Thorin stood up "he's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us" Thorin stomped off past the rest of the Dwarves "Dwalin!" the pair of them headed into a cave on the mountainside. The rest of us picked each other up and followed. "It looks safe enough" Dwalin said looking around the cave "search to the back; caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied" Thorin started walking around. Dwalin searched the cave "there's nothing here" he reported. Gloin dropped a pile of wood on the floor and rubbed his hands "right then! Let's get a fire started" Thorin shook his head "no, no fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light". Balin looked troubled "we were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan" "plans change" Thorin replied "Bofur, take the first watch".

I woke up to the sound of movement right above me. Bilbo had his pack on and was trying not to wake the others as he made to leave. "Where do you think you're going?" Bofur whispered "back to Rivendell" Bilbo replied. "No, no, you can't turn back now; you're part of the company. You're one of us" Bofur was trying to get Bilbo to stay. "I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door" I felt sorry for Bilbo, he was really missing his home. "You're homesick; I understand" Bofur was trying to make Bilbo feel better "no, you don't, you don't understand! None of you do…you're Dwarves. You're used to…to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere". My mouth fell open, that was just rude; how could Bilbo say that. "I'm sorry, I didn't…" that's right Bilbo you apologise. "No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere" I knitted my eyebrows, why was Bofur agreeing? "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do" Bofur patted Bilbo on the shoulder and stepped back. "What's that?" Bofur asked with his eyes on Bilbo's sword.

Bilbo partially drew the sword and my heart skipped a beat; it was glowing bright blue, there were enemies nearby. "Wake up. Wake up!" Thorin must have seen it too. Before we could react, the floor of the cave collapsed downwards and we all fell down a huge chute. We landed with a thump on a wooden structure and then had the air knocked out of our lungs as Bombur landed on top of us all. It was only seconds before we were set upon by Goblins. We were hauled away kicking and yelling, and lead through a vast network of tunnels and wooden bridges. We were brought before the largest Goblin I'd ever seen; he must be the King. All our weapons were thrown at his feet "who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" he got down off his throne, squashing a group of Goblins at his feet. "Dwarves, your Malevolence" one of the Goblins replied "Dwarves?" the King seemed surprised "we found them on the front porch". "Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice" I definitely did not like the pawing hands of the Goblins, they prodded and poked and then they found Oin's ear-trumpet; which they stomped on.

"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" the King wasn't going to get an answer. "Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest" he pointed at Ori. "Wait" Thorin stepped forward "well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain" the Goblin bowed mockingly. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really" Thorin glared up at the Goblin "I know someone who pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a white Warg". It was unthinkable to me to imagine that that creature was still alive; especially after what Balin said had happened at the battle of Azanulbizar. "Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago" Thorin seemed as surprised as the rest of us. The Goblin laughed "so you think his defiling days are done, do you?" he turned to a little Goblin in a basket "send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize" the little Goblin wrote down the message and disappeared, cackling, into the darkness.

Soon the sound of many feet could be heard; I looked around and gasped at the machines the Goblins were hauling up. The huge Goblin seemed to think this was the perfect time for a song.

** "bones will shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered; from racks you'll be hung. You will lie down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin-town".**

One of the Goblins picked up Thorin's sword and examined it. He screeched and threw it down in full view of the rest of the Goblins. The huge Goblin staggered backwards and back onto his throne "I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks". The Goblins started whipping us with chains "slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head! Thorin fought off four Goblins and sent one flying over the edge of the platform before he was held down. "Thorin! No!" I yelled as I struggled to free myself from the Goblins holding me. All of a sudden there was a blinding flash of light and a shock-wave flew through the air, knocking the Goblins and their torture machines over.

Gandalf stepped out of the gloom with his sword in hand "take up arms. Fight. Fight!" his voice roused the Dwarves and we rushed for our weapons before the Goblins knew what was happening. "He wields the Foe-hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!" the huge Goblin yelled. I had both my swords in hand and started hacking at the nearest Goblins. The huge Goblin went for Nori but Thorin stepped in and deflected his blow, causing him to stumble backwards and off the edge of the platform. "Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf lead the way along a pathway leading away from the throne room, cutting the Goblins down as he went. Several Goblins appeared in front of us "post!" Dwalin yelled and he and a few others loosed a guardrail. "Charge!" Dwalin lead the way as the Dwarves swung the post left and right, clearing the Goblins off the path. The Goblins were still coming and it was close-quarter fighting for some time until Goblins started swinging towards us on ropes.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin yelled, slicing through the support ropes of a raised platform. It fell towards the Goblins and tangled them up. Kili dropped a ladder on the Goblins in front of him and with some help forced the Goblins backwards, until the ladder made a bridge over a gap in the path. We rushed across and Dwalin kicked the ladder off the path. We continued running through the maze-like paths until we got to a section that was suspended by ropes; we cut some of the ropes and the section started to swing. "Jump!" Thorin yelled as the path moved towards another path. Most of the Dwarves made it but then it swung backwards and Goblins managed to jump on, I sliced through a few before the path swung back towards the others. We cut the ropes and sent the Goblins downwards. We continued running through the tunnels; hacking at any Goblin that crossed our path. Gandalf struck a large overhanging rock and caused it to roll down the path before us, squashing Goblins on its way. We came upon a bridge between two of the cavern walls and were heading over it when the Goblin King appeared suddenly in front of us.

"You thought you could escape me?" he asked swinging his mace at Gandalf "what are you going to do now, Wizard?" Gandalf stepped forward and poked the Goblin in the eye with his staff "ow, ow, ow!" the Goblin squealed. Gandalf then slashed his sword across the Goblin's stomach, causing him to drop to his knees "that'll do it" he said before Gandalf sliced through his neck. The Goblin fell forwards, quite dead, and his weight caused the bridge to shake violently and start falling. The trip down to the floor of the cavern was a hair-raising experience I do not want to have again. I mumbled a prayer of thanks when we stopped moving and were all still alive. "Well, that could have been worse" Bofur said cheerfully; only to be cut off by the body of the Goblin King landing on top of us all. My eyes went black for a moment as the pressure on my chest increased. "You've got to be joking!" Dwalin sounded annoyed. "Gandalf!" Kili yelled out in a panicked voice. I struggled to free myself from the wreckage and fell flat on my face. I coughed and looked up to see a huge horde of Goblins scrambling down the walls. "There's too many! We can't fight them" Dwalin said, standing up "only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on!" Gandalf grabbed Oin's hand "here, on your feet!" Once all the Dwarves were free we hurried after Gandalf; and I couldn't shake the feeling of something being terribly wrong. I counted everyone in my head and then I realised; Bilbo wasn't with us!


	7. Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire

**Out Of The Fr****ying, Into The Fire**

I'd never been so glad to see sunlight in my life, as we rushed out of the mountain and onto the hillside. We stopped to catch our breath and Gandalf started counting us. "Five, six, seven, eight…Bifur, Bofur…that's ten…Fili, Kili...that's twelve…Bombur and Anduin-that makes fourteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit?" Gandalf looked around. "Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!" Dwalin seemed annoyed again. "I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin said "don't blame me!" Dori shot back. "Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked "I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us" Nori answered. "What happened exactly? Tell me" Gandalf pressed "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it!" Thorin answered. I refused to believe that Bilbo would just leave "why would he do that, did you forget that he saved us from the trolls!" I spat at Thorin. "He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone" Thorin was mad.

"No, he isn't" Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree. "Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf was relieved. Bilbo walked forwards and patted Balin on the shoulder "Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili said with a smile on his face "how on earth did you get past the Goblins?" Fili asked. "How, indeed" Dwalin narrowed his eyes, Bilbo looked slightly uncomfortable in the awkward silence that followed. "Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf said "it matters!" Thorin replied "I want to know: why did you come back?" he looked at Bilbo intently. "Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. That's why I came back, because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can" Bilbo looked at Thorin and I saw an understanding finally pass between them.

Suddenly howls echoed down the mountain side "out of the frying pan…" Thorin said looking up "…and into the fire! Run!" Gandalf replied. We ran down the mountain as quick as we could; not quick enough. A Warg leapt over Bilbo's head and stopped in front of him. I wanted to help but was soon faced with my own Warg. I looked back and saw Bilbo had killed his Warg; but there were more coming. We reached a copse of trees on the edge of a cliff, we had nowhere to go. "Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!" Gandalf yelled leaping into the branches of the nearest tree. I climbed the nearest tree to me and found myself sharing with Kili and Nori. Bilbo was soon the only one left on the ground; trying to pull his sword out of the Warg's head. "Come on Bilbo! Hurry!" I yelled at the hobbit. I sighed in relief when he made up into my tree. The Wargs started circling around underneath the trees, growling up at us.

I saw a huge white Warg appear and my stomach clenched at the sight of the Orc sitting on it. "Azog?" Thorin sounded alarmed "it cannot be". After Azog spoke in a guttural language, the Wargs started leaping at the branches of our trees. With the weight of the Wargs trying to climb up, my tree suddenly started falling backwards into the next tree. Soon all the trees were falling down and we had all jumped to Gandalf's tree. Gandalf did some quick thinking and started setting fire to pine cones. He tossed them to all of us and we started showering the Wargs with fire. We started cheering as the Wargs retreated but soon started crying out in fear as our tree started falling over. We just managed to hang on as the tree stopped precariously on the edge of the cliff. I heard a scream and looked around to see Ori hanging on to Dori's legs. "Mister Gandalf!" Dori cried out as he began losing his grip as well. Gandalf quickly thrust his staff at Dori, who grabbed on for dear life "hold on, Ori!" he called to his brother.

Thorin looked at the unfolding scene and a grim determination settled on his face. He stood up with his shield on and his sword drawn; and made his way down the burning tree trunk. He raised his sword and started running at Azog. Azog roared as his Warg leapt at Thorin; knocking him to the ground. Thorin got unsteadily to his feet only to be smashed in the face by Azog's mace, before he knew what was happening. "No!" Balin cried out; I could feel tears start welling in my eyes and then Bilbo started standing up next to me. "What are you doing?" I asked, I didn't get an answer. We all watched in horror as the Warg clamped its jaws around Thorin "Thorin! No!" Dwalin tried to get off the tree but the branch he was on broke "no! Dwalin! Here, take my hand" I stretched out my hand and panting hauled Dwalin back to safety.

Azog's Warg had let go of Thorin and tossed him to the ground. One of the other Orcs got off his Warg and walked up to Thorin and placed his blade at our leaders' throat. Bilbo drew his sword and ran down the tree, colliding with the Orc. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; our little hobbit was now stabbing the Orc. He stepped in front of Thorin and brandished his sword. As a few Orcs stepped towards Bilbo; Fili, Kili and Dwalin rushed down the tree and attacked them. Bilbo came face to face with Azog and was knocked to the ground by his Warg. Dori suddenly lost his grip on Gandalf's staff and started falling. They landed on a huge eagle and were carried away. Soon a dozen eagles began attacking the Orcs and Wargs. Some broke away from the fight to start plucking us out of the tree.

Soon we were all safe on the backs of eagles. One had carefully picked Thorin up in its' talons and was leading the way, away from the cliff. We soared through the air, over many leagues until we came to a huge bear-shaped rock. The eagle carrying Thorin gently put him down and flew away. Gandalf was deposited next and he rushed to the unconscious Dwarf. "Thorin! Thorin" Gandalf called trying to wake him up, as the rest of us landed on the rock. The wizard placed his hand on Thorin's forehead and whispered something. Thorin's eyes fluttered open "the halfing?" he spoke weakly. "It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe" Gandalf sounded relieved. Dwalin and Kili helped Thorin to his feet, only to be shrugged away as Thorin stepped towards Bilbo. "You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Thorin spat at the bewildered hobbit "did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" Bilbo looked upset and he looked down. "I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin embraced Bilbo "I am sorry I doubted you" Thorin stepped back with a smile on his face. "No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior…not even a burglar" Bilbo looked at Gandalf and smiled.

Thorin strode forwards, looking at something over Bilbo's shoulder. "Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked, catching everyone else's attention. On the horizon I could just make out the outline of a single mountain "Erebor-the Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf kingdoms of Middle earth" Gandalf said walking forwards "our home" Thorin sighed. A small bird chirped and flew past "a raven! The birds are returning to the mountain" Oin said "that, my dear Oin, is a thrush" Gandalf replied with a smile. "But we'll take it as a sign-a good omen" Thorin looked at Bilbo with a smile on his face "you're right. I do believe the worst is behind us". In the peace of the morning light I could almost believe Bilbo, but in my heart I knew the worst was yet to come.


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Heartless-x-Love: so that is the end of Part 1 of my Hobbit story. I hope you enjoyed it and continue to review. Part 2 will be up mid-way through next year (yes I know that's a long time but I need to download the transcript for DoS) so in the mean time I am uploading my Lord Of The Rings Fanfiction. It has a few spoilers for the end of the Hobbit story, so I apologise if things don't quite make sense. I will also endeavour to update my other reviewed stories, so please be patient, they will be updated as soon as possible. So, again, thank you for your lovely reviews and I hope you stick around for the rest of the Quest.

"**Far over the Misty Mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. **

**We must away ere break of day. To find our long-forgotten gold"**


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